Incubus: From Man to Monster
by CovertCobalt
Summary: Follows the trials and tribulations of Seth, a newly turned kindred of Clan Daeva, along with his sire and several other interconnected characters as they struggle to find their place within both human and kindred society. Ultimately a story that aspires to explore one of Vampire: The Requiem's central themes: What does it mean to be a monster?
1. Chapter 1: The Tempter

**Chapter 1**

It was just another college party until the suite's door opened up and a god walked in. Like compass needles dragged inexorably towards the North Pole, heads invariably turned towards the dimly lit doorframe, where stood a solitary man bathed in red from the lights strung across the ceiling above. The music was too loud for anybody to have heard the door open or shut, but he projected a presence so magnetic that they looked over just the same. A gust of cool air flowed through the room: an almost unnoticed reminder of the frigid February weather outside. Nobody seemed to find it unusual that the man seemed perfectly comfortable in his thin button-up shirt, with its sleeves casually rolled to the elbows. His face was sharp and pale, like hand-carved marble, and his eyes sparkled like green flame. His lips curved slowly into a smile, and the room seemed to collectively hold its breath.

For a few seconds, he surveyed the room, his gaze passing over every partygoer like a caress. Men and women both found themselves wanting, _craving_ his attention to be fixed upon them. One of the drunkest girls in the room moaned audibly when his gaze met hers; most others just shuddered slightly from the pleasure, or felt the hairs on their neck rise up and their mouths grow dry. Then, suddenly, the room was moving again, as if nothing had ever happened.

At least, _almost_ as if nothing had happened. The mood of the room had shifted somehow, almost imperceptibly. The air seemed thicker and warmer, and the smells of beer and sweat had somehow intermingled with a heady, flowery scent, like liquor-soaked roses. The music, although still the same bass-heavy party music that had been playing earlier, seemed more primal, beating in tandem with the frantic heartbeats of the dancers. Every touch, accidental or purposeful, seemed more electric, more intoxicating. A football jock accidentally brushed against a mousy girl with thick glasses, and suddenly the two were entwined, lips locked together. Two best friends kissed and groped frantically on the couch while their boyfriends did the same on the floor next to them.

Although nobody could quite articulate why, the party had changed entirely when the golden-haired man dressed like a college student had joined the fray. Where he went, the crowds shifted and welcomed him, forming around him like a swirling vortex of warm bodies, aching for his touch. His smile was enough so that nearly everyone tried to press a drink into his grasp, but he refused them all with a polite "No thank you." When they thought about it the next day, they realized that he hadn't drunk a single drop the entire time he'd been there. Not of alcohol, at least.

One young woman, emboldened by the excess of Tequila she'd drunk, summoned up the courage to approach him decisively and begin dancing with him, her unsteady legs leading her to nearly collapse onto him. When she pressed against him, the young man grinned and murmured something in her ear. Her grip on him tightened, and a few jealous girls nearby would later swear they heard her beg him to take her upstairs. However, the man seemed to decline, and she soon found solace in the arms of her lab-partner, who'd been in love with her for months.

Before long, the suite's door opened up again, and a drunken group of friends found themselves momentarily dazed by the orgiastic fervor that seemed to grip the room. Then, after another moment, they found their reservations shed along with their winter garb, and joined the fray with reckless abandon.

One of their number, a young man named Seth, had come to the party with the expectation of hooking up with a girl he knew there: a Creative Writing major named Lily. However, much to his chagrin, he soon spotted her straddling some bald-headed guy with a tattoo on his neck. His disappointment might have been enough to alert him that something strange was going on, had it not been for a simple "Hello" from the most melodious voice that he'd ever heard in his lifetime. The young man turned and his entire body froze up as he locked eyes with the most beautiful man he'd ever seen.

The taller man smiled, his perfect teeth shining like moonlight. He introduced himself as Roy, saying that he'd never been here before and that his friend on-campus had already left the party without him. Seth barely had time to share his name before the two of them were caught up in the heaving crowd, his body suddenly pressed against Roy's. When their lips first met, the party seemed to surge in response, the music growing louder, the people growing wilder. Intoxication colored the air like thick, perfumed fog. By the time Roy lead Seth into a bedroom upstairs, he wasn't even sure of his own name anymore.

Hours later, as the party began to wind down, couples disengaging and straightening their clothes, someone opened the door to the upstairs bedroom. The bed was an unmade mess, with the sheets missing entirely. The windows were open, and the February air had already filled up the room. To everyone's confusion, neither Roy nor Seth was to be found anywhere, and surely they would have noticed the beautiful golden-haired man if he had left.

Nobody even noticed the blood on the windowsill until morning.


	2. Chapter 2: The Embrace

**Chapter 2**

Roy knew it was a risky move hunting somewhere so near to another's territory, but he had been unable to resist the clarion call of drunken debauchery and erotic experimentation he knew he would find there. He also knew it was a risky move to do so when he knew the other Kindred preferred to select his herd from that particular college's student body. _And now you've got yourself a goddamn corpse to dispose of_ , he chastised to himself, shifting the weight of the body onto his right shoulder.

He'd managed to transport the body to his car without attracting notice, but now he realized he'd left far too many loose ends. Everyone at the party had noticed him and would remember his face; his use of the Blood had made sure of that. _If they get forensics in there, they'll find traces of him for sure_ , he thought, shaking his head in disgust. _Christine will find out, and the bitch will probably try to have me staked for a month at least._

Gently, he placed Seth's corpse on the futon in his apartment, before striding across the room and pulling out his cell phone. His finger hovered above the "Call" button for nearly 30 seconds, the name "Alistair (Asshole)" displayed on the screen. _The asshole owes me a favor, sure_ , Roy reasoned, his body absolutely still, _but there's no way he'd want to get involved with something this petty._ _He doesn't give a fuck about Christine; he'd probably throw me right to the Prince and be done with it._ Roy checked the time before returning the phone to his pocket. 3:30 AM, only a few more hours until sunrise.

Suddenly, Roy heard a quiet, rattling breath from the futon behind him. With an inaudible snarl, he crossed the room in a single leap, his hand instinctively closing over the throat of the body on the futon. Then, he closed his eyes, fighting to keep the Beast down. _He's alive, dammit. There's nobody else here. Calm. The fuck. Down._ After a few more seconds, he opened his eyes, the pounding of the Beast's influence in his mind receding. Then, he pressed his cold ear against Seth's still-warm chest. He heard a heartbeat, so faint that he hadn't even noticed it before. His eyes widened in surprise. _Pretty tough, for one of the Kine._ He grimaced slightly. _But even he won't last more than another hour at most._

Roy stared down at the corpse, focusing on the boy's features. He was handsome enough; he probably could have been called beautiful if he were better-dressed and groomed. _And not dying, of course,_ Roy added to himself, chuckling quietly. "Tough and beautiful, huh?" Roy said, his white fingers stroking his sharp chin. "Perhaps it's about time I Sired… My bastard of a father has been telling me to get a lackey for long enough already, and this one could be fun for a while…" He smiled, tracing his left hand down Seth's chest.

He fetched a knife from the apartment's kitchen, and, without ceremony, proceeded to slice his wrist open, willing the Vitae to exit through the wound. He forced Seth's mouth open, and poured the blood in, taking care to ensure that it trickled down his throat. Then, he kissed him, the blood smearing on both their lips, and the Embrace began to do its work. His faint heartbeat stopped entirely, and he grew as still as a corpse. He wouldn't rise until late the next night, assuming the process was successful.

Roy brought him to his sanctuary, tying his limbs with strong cords he kept laying around for the prey that enjoyed their use. The room was protected from sunlight by strong, metal shutters and thick red curtains; he liked to think of it as both functional and fashionable. Effortlessly, he laid Seth's body upon the bed. By the time he was finished making preparation, dawn had arrived. Roy's green eyes closed and his pale fingers reached out to touch Seth's one last time before daysleep took him entirely.


End file.
